THE QUIET HOUR

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 99, 8 December 1928, Page 3

THE QUIET HOUR

SORE SUNDAY READING.

THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS AND OUR GOD,

It is told of the great philosopher Fichte that he made a feast on the day his son first used the word “I.” It wag a birthday in his experience, his intellectual birthday. It was the realisation to him that ho was a person, distinct/ from all others. But great as is the thought of personality the greatest thought the mind of man can take into itself is the thought of God. If a man receives and cherishes that thought with any degree of intelligence and realisation ho immediately (becomes .dftwiis^H uoci.riJß 11 1 a t slaiiJH A 9 was ]9 the day ( 8 God, 9 bis th ei AhralJ| I I to h'9 God 'r 9 It 8 soparaß God 9 He i 9 Ncfl tium-WBHBBBMBBHBMBB that 9 and 9 ib M a ]no. 9 quit l-i ' • ' ' ' ' goodr are often taken and the" bad are jsft, just as the strong are often taken and the. infirm are left. But the race continues. That is all that Seems to matter to nature—the race, not the individual. It it were not for God’s revelation of Himself in the souls of men and supremely in Christ Jesus, we should have had no reason for believing that He cares for individuals. “Behold, all souls are mine.’ 1 ’ He said through His prophet Ezokicld. Not that He claimed Humanity His own, not that He loved* men in the mass, but each several soul.

COD OF INDIVIDUALS. It may be difficult to believe that God is the. God of separate individuals, but without that faith personal religion is impossible. So Martin Luther found. When lie was struggling towards the .light, he found it an easy matter to believe in the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of ' Jacob, the God of Peter, and of John, and Paul, but he found it most'dlifficult to believe in the God of Martin/ Luther. When his difficulties were overcome, he was able to enjoy the peace he had with God in Jesus Christ Ids Lord. Go you know that God ig, “your” God? Do you enjoy the peace you have, with Him in Jesus Christ your Lord. When God says, “I am the God, of Abraham, of Isaac, and 1 of Jacob,” He means that He is the God. of differing personalities, of varying types of men. It is popular to-day to sneer at the Victorian Ago. It was too prim and proper. Victoria the Good brought certain necessary changes into, the Court lift of England and these changes were reflected in the lift of the nation. But this is not the Victorian Age. A new generation has arisen which knew Victoria. The conventions of the' past have been thrown to the winds and the present generation enjoys a freedom which would have horrified our fathers. Hence, all the newspaper criticism of the modern girl and the modern youth! f There may he some cause for criticism, for there are those who dp not distinguish between liberty and license, freedom and lawlessness. Bui there is no reason for pessimism. God has not abandoned this present age, nor has this present age abandoned God- He still. within the shadow keeping watch above His own.